I was miserable. I had been working through Chinese New Year and the weekend after that, and all I wanted to do was spend some time with the husband over a nice meal. We had several choices at Doubletree and the Intermark, but in the end, as we made our decision, it didn’t feel like much of a gamble to visit Hanare, a reincarnation of the popular and highly rated (and now defunct) Tykoh Inagiku. Quality and freshness is a priority at Hanare where seafood is brought in from the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo three times a week. Shipment had just arrived the day we visited. Joy.
As we pored over the menu, my initial reaction was that of shock. The prices were probably some of the highest I’d seen, but as we talked through it, we told ourselves that we would not be cost-conscious and deprive ourselves of a potentially good experience. As we rattled off our order to the Manager, I casually asked if they served an omakase menu, to which he replied in the affirmative. An omakase is a great way to acquaint one’s self with the Chef’s specialties, and at RM250 per head, it seemed very reasonably priced. Like most omakase experiences, a menu wasn’t provided and we left our fate in the Chef’s hands, merely giving him a couple of our special requests.
Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was the sake, perhaps it was the food, perhaps it was the company, perhaps it was the release of tension and stress, but it was one of my most pleasurable meals in Kuala Lumpur in a very long time. The cacophony of laughter from the table beside us merely added to the enjoyment, and not surprisingly, as the night went on, I found myself smiling more and more as I submitted myself to the flair and mastery of Chef Sudo San.
Hanare
Ground Floor, The Intermark
182 Jalan Tun Razak, KL
Tel: 03-2164 2133/2164 2633
Note: In addition to the ala carte and omakase menu, Hanare also offers a champagne brunch every Sunday priced at RM298+ with champagne and RM150+ for food alone.
Yuba Tofu and Yuba To Okura – two starters using tofu skin as its base, one resembling the typical beancurd sheets we are familiar with, and the other a denser, mushier texture with a more intense flavour.
Shirako – cod milt – sacs containing seminal fluid that taste like pig’s brains. A rare and pleasurable treat. Nothing to get repulsed about.
Sashimi – Toro, Buri, Hirame, Akagai – delightfully fresh. Served with freshly grated wasabi.
One cannot deny the pleasures of sake….
Wakasagi Saikyo And Aka Miso – Ice fish with two types of miso – eat it whole.
Mozuku (Seaweed) Chawan Mushi with a hidden surprise – cod milt again! The egg custard had a smooth consistency.
The tomato was firm with a very thin skin and smelled like it had just been plucked. Juicy and incredibly sweet with a dense texture.
Amberjack fish and seaweed in mini steamboat – swish for a bit in the boiling hot soup to sufficiently cook it. The soup, once infused with all the flavours, can be subsequently drunk.
Tomorokoshi, Imo & Soramame (corn, sweet potato and Japanese broad bean). The Japanese take pride in every ingredient and item that is served at the dinner table. Even the humble vegetable is given pride of place on the omakase menu.
Sushi – Toro, Hotate, Ikura and Uni.
Shijimi Clam Soup – aromatic and flavourful.
I love the decor at Hanare. The custom made tables of granite and wood (some made of a single piece of wood, proudly displaying its uniqueness and imperfections) are simply beautiful.
*********
Bald Eagle was featured in a Valentine’s Day article in the NST where he gave his two cents worth on what Valentine’s Day means to him. I agree wholeheartedly with him that it is more fun to surprise each other throughout the year, and that one should be spontaneous and unpredictable. Which is why we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day apart this year – he in Sydney, while I remain in KL – and we’re none the lonelier.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all. May your lives be filled with love and happiness.
Very the romantic and adventurous foodie you both 🙂
I remember reading ages ago about the history of Japan’s love affair with seafood, including fascinating details about why hirame and buri are traditionally more prized than tuna, for example. It made me briefly contemplate abandoning my cubicle and becoming the apprentice of a sushi sinsei! 😀
I can’t get over how the piece on how BE celebrates romance with you blow all the others’ out of the water! Happy Valentine’s Day indeed! 🙂
r u sure u didnt shoo him away to sydney only for him to fly u over to celebrate?
what a nice meal u had there, i want to eat like a king too!
Awwwww… Happy V-Day you 2 lovebirds. 🙂
*J’s cynical heart is thawing*
(On another note: Cod’s WAHT? Eek. *squeamish*)
Nothing beats a good meal and the company of a loved one to beat the stress eh? Glad to be of service every now and then, even though Papparich doesn’t do an omakase menu, but if they do what do you think you’d be served eh?
Happy Valentine’s to you too BFF! XOXO
Hanare is so authentic it makes one feel that one is dining in Japan itself! And I super love Tim’s idea of surprising you for the Langkawi trip. Ah, exceptionally sweet! Happy Valentine’s day to you two lovebirds! <3
Kiran: Hehe…we try!
Sean: It is fascinating learning about Japanese seafood. I wish I could eat it more often so that I can make a critical assessment of it. You want to be a sushi apprentice? Hehe. Somehow that sounded quite funny.
minchow: Awwww, you’re biased, but thanks! We’re not the romantic sort, but we know how to make each other happy! hahaha.
Come eat with us next time!
lotsofcravings: LOL, I wish I could go to Sydney but my boss will kill me if I go on leave now!
J the Chocoholic: Don’t be cynical, girl. Not everyone’s an assh*le. 😀
alilfatmonkey: Happy V Day BFF! 😀 I love PappaRich, especially going there with you! If they did an omakase menu, they’d serve Milo powder as the amuse bouche, Steamed bread with condensed milk as the first course, curry laksa as the second, then for desserts, Milo dinosaur, followed by Milo powder with condensed milk!
iamthewitch: Happy V Day to you and Lionel too! Yeah, Hanare is as Japanese as it gets here. I can’t wait to go again soon. 🙂
It’s about time guys tasted seminal fluid…
Hot buttery toast with condensed milk! Milo Dinosaur!! I want to experience the PappaRich omakase too!!
Had to remind EH that SMSes today shouldn’t cost more than usual.
Pause.
They don’t, do they?
Happy Valentine’s Day, dahlink. Wish I was there to have a Valentine date with you ala Carrie and Miranda.
gfad: It’s about time guys tasted seminal fluid… <-- whatchu tok? some of our friends have tasted it awready mah. Is EH out of town too? SMSes should be free today! hehe. Happy V Day dahlink....we shall celebrate it in spirit!
Our enlightened friends have, a lot still haven’t…
Nah, he’s just across town. The last time I received a flower from him was when we came back last year from our CNY holiday. Dining out tonight? His response – “Tonight we eat chicken. Tomorrow we eat chicken. Tomorrow we pay half of what we pay tonight for the same chicken.”
Can’t argue with that. Every little bit counts when adding to the holiday/bag kitty…
gfad: i think the older we get, the more sensible we are about our spending as well. Like BE likes to insist to me, Romance is Dead. What we have is a sensible kind of romance, hor gfad?
Courting is fireworks on the 8th night of CNY and New Year’s Eve at KLCC – colorful, noisy and exciting.
Marriage is snuggling in the comfy warm sofa, sipping wine, eating dark chocolate and watching a movie while the kids are asleep in their room.
I went for dinner here last night with my parents. The bill came out a whopping RM 360 but we enjoyed the food immensely. Everything was very fresh and top notch although I feel that more items should be included in the menu. 🙂
gfad: aptly put, and either one isn’t a bad thing really.
Michelle Chin: Yeah, it can be pretty pricey, but I’m willing to pay for quality. Oh, I’m sure they will be expanding their menu. I can’t wait to go back there again! ^_^
totally agree with BE and if I wanted to eat at Hanare badly before, your photos make me want to eat there even MORE! 😀
is that 2 omakase sets? that’s quite a lot of dishes for 2 person’s portion 🙂
We read BE’s feature in NST and thought it was so romantic of him to fly you over to Langkawi.
awww, larverly post as usual. wow, pig’s brains taste like cod sperm ah? no wonder a pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes la.
expensive or notch ah? looks damn pricey… oh well, one can dream
ciki: i hope you’ve managed to try the food already!
Vivien: we had 2 omakase sets, but what I’ve photographed is one person’s portion. 🙂
Baby Sumo: Yeah, he can be romantic when he wants to be. 🙂
TangeCYI: so witty lah you. As for the price, we paid RM250 per head for the food alone. Alcohol is extra. 🙂
Place looks gorgeous, thanks to yr superb photog skills 🙂 Hmm.. cod sperms are so exotic!
That Bald Eagle fler is on to something, fer sure. 😉
And hooray for Hanare! Your descriptions of the restaurant and the quality/vision may well be more delicious than your photographs of the food (if at all possible).